DISCUSSION ISSUES/TOPICS
Safety Campaigns
- What information should be provided in public service announcements and how effective will it be? Who are the target drivers and how can they be reached?
- What information does the public need, as drivers or as consumers of technology products?
- How effective is the provision of safety tips? Do we understand the problem well enough to provide good tips?
- Is there a “learning curve” that makes the distraction risk particularly great for novice users of a technology or a specific product? Is there some way that training or practice could be introduced to minimize this?
- Is there a need to introduce driver distraction/technology use into driver education curricula? Do novice drivers potentially have greater distraction problems and can training help with this?
Content Available In Each Topic Area
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 Ask the Expert |
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| Safety Campaigns | ||
| Have you changed how you use your cell phone in your vehicle because of a safety tip you saw or heard?
Driver Education: the secret to safer highways. 7/18/00 10:16:08 PM Mark Renn Private Citizen I've been several places around the world and seen how other people drive. I've been to Germany and seen that they are much better than us. I've been to Saudi Arabia and seen that they drive much worse than us. It's a farce for any American to proclaim that they are "Good Drivers". Just today, I was listening to the "Bob and Tom" morning radio show. Tom mentioned that he was a Good Driver because he had never been in an accident. I realized that most people's attitude is the same. But there is more to being a good driver than staying out of accidents. How many people use turn signals properly? My father doesn't even know they exist except when a law enforcement officer is around. How many people use their headlights in low visibility conditions? I can't count the number of times I've heard someone say, "Why do I need my headlights? I can see just fine." They fail to realize that headlights, like taillights, can be used to BE SEEN, not just to see with. How many people can go 20+ miles and not notice their high-beam headlights are on? Their excuse: "I hadn't noticed." They hadn't bothered to look down at their dash once, either. Bitter?!?! Just a little. We Americans are hypocrites. We bitch and complain to the auto industry to make our cars safer, but we don't bother to make ourselves safer. Studies have shown that the safer cars get, the more wreckless we drive. Compound that with the fact that few, if any states mandate a driver education program. Any schmoe can walk in off the street, take a SIMPLE written test, followed by a SIMPLE driving test, and get a license. I firmly believe the solution lies in education. A system like the one Germany uses would cause our accident rates to drop like a lead weight! They learn to drive a car like we learn to fly an aircraft. EVERYONE MUST attend a private driving school, funded out of their own pocket (trust me, it's expensive). This school starts with extensive classroom training, including the inner workings of an automobile. It's followed by riding in a car with an instructor, then driving with an instructor, and, finally, a "solo flight." Once ALL tests have been completed, and ONLY then, will they be able to receive a driver's license. The results are powerful. Germany has a lower accident rate, per capita, than the U.S. THIS is why they can afford to have highways without speed limits. They're safer drivers. If we're ever going to get REALLY serious about safety on our highways, this is the issue we should be addressing. Reply and Question to Education Advocates 7/19/00 12:26:56 PM
Safety campaigns will only go so far 7/19/00 3:29:19 PM
Increased Awareness of the Need for Safety 7/20/00 5:38:58 PM
Appreciating the Privilege of Driving 7/20/00 9:57:10 PM
Educator's response to Joan Harris, Moderator 7/24/00 10:09:27 PM
I agree with Mark Renn 7/26/00 4:38:21 PM
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